4th ODI India vs Australia:
George Bailey (98) and Glenn Maxwell (92) were the stars with the bat
while Mohammed Shami was the stand-out performer with the ball in the
fourth ODI between India and Australia at Ranchi, which was washed out
due to heavy rain. Chasing a formidable 295/8, India got off to a
positive start before rain interrupted play for the second time in the
match. Shikhar Dhawan (14*) scored three boundaries while Rohit Sharma
(9*) hit one to take India to 27/0 in 4.1 overs before the players had
to leave the field. What started as light rain, intensified and the
unrelenting showers meant that the match was eventually abandoned with
Australia clinging on to their 2-1 lead.
The visitors posted a good total thanks to a record 153-run stand for the fifth wicket between Bailey and Maxwell, who capitalized on numerous missed chances. Struggling at 71/4 after Shami bowled a fiery first spell (6-1-21-3) to run through the top order, Australia recovered well thanks to Bailey and Maxwell, who went past Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin's 5th wicket stand worth 144 runs in Bangalore in 2007, to power Australia to a total of close to 300. Shami (3/42) was the pick of the bowlers while R Ashwin and Vinay Kumar scalped a couple of wickets apiece although their economy rates were on the higher side.
Shami, included in the eleven along with Jaydev Unadkat at the expense of Ishant Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, gave India a terrific start. Danger-man Aaron Finch fell in the single digits for the first time in this series, castled by Shami in the second over on 5 before the 23-year-old got Hughes (11) to nick one to Dhoni. After a short rain interruption, Shami struck for a third time, knocking down the stumps to send Watson packing on 14.
Bailey, who was given a reprieve by Virat Kohli when he was on 0, started watchfully before scoring a flurry of boundaries off Vinay. Adam Voges added 39 runs for the 4th wicket with his skipper before he was trapped in front by R Ashwin on 7. Bailey, meanwhile, had another stroke of fortune as Ashwin put down a tough offering when he was on 35 and the batsman capitalized on it by getting to his 11th ODI fifty - his third in this series. Maxwell too had a reprieve - Yuvraj putting down a difficult chance at point - and the aggressive right-hander went on to register his 4th ODI fifty in style, with a massive six off Ravindra Jadeja, before bringing up the century stand.
The fours and big hits came quite regularly as Bailey and Maxwell, who played the switch hit on a couple of occasions, laid a superb base. The duo helped their side to the 200-mark in the 35th over even as India's catching woes continued with Dhoni putting down a difficult chance off Suresh Raina's bowling to give Maxwell his second break. The Indians finally managed to end the partnership worth 153 runs in the 3rd over of the batting powerplay. Bailey fell two short of the three-figure-mark when he failed in his attempt to hit Vinay over the top, finding Rohit at deep mid-wicket. Haddin, who was the next one in, did not contribute much, bowled by Jadeja on 3 in the 39th over. India got the big wicket of Maxwell in the final over of the power-play as the right-hander fell eight short of his maiden ODI ton, trapped leg-before by Vinay.
The hero of the previous game - James Faulkner - had Mitchell Johnson for company and Australia's hopes of getting to a big score rested on this pair. They were not able to bring out the big hits straight away as Jadeja and Raina bowled some quiet overs to keep the Australians in check. The boundaries had dried up before Faulkner and Johnson decided to take the attack to the Indians to provide Australia the much-needed push. Faulkner scored a four off Raina in the 47th over before Johnson hit Jadeja for a four and a six in the next even as India let go of yet another opportunity - Raina was not able to hold on to a skier when Johnson went for a big hit. While Johnson was out stumped off Ashwin on 25 in the 49th over, Faulkner remained till the end, and along with Clint McKay, powered Australia to a sizeable total.
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